Rising tensions over foreigner checks in Senegal

The night still weighs heavy on Amadou Bangoura’s mind. It was just past 10 p.m. when the 30-year-old Beninese student left his gym in Liberté 6, as he did most evenings. The streets of Dakar were nearly empty, shops had closed for the day, and only the occasional vehicle cut through the darkness. Then, without warning, a police patrol ordered him to stop. Two officers stepped out of their vehicle. ‘Your papers,’ they demanded.